Venue: Studio 3, Rehearsal Room, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing
Dates: Sunday 22 June – Thursday 26 June 2008
Time: 09:00 – 17:30
Creative Ballet: Developing Dance Education Work for Community Groups
This five-day workshop, organised by the Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in partnership with The Royal Ballet and the National Centre for the Performing Arts, is designed to enrich the skills and knowledge of teaching artists working with a variety of community groups. The focus will be on approaches to leading creative ballet and movement education work and to making ballet accessible to those who may not have encountered dance before. This work will be tailored to the repertory being performed by The Royal Ballet in China.
The programme focuses on the development of participants’ creative skills, and is designed to enable teaching artists to develop and deliver follow-up work themselves. A lively series of workshops for community groups, a group of disabled and able bodied young people, family groups and teens provide observation and participation opportunities. Attendance at a dress rehearsal and/or a performance and meetings with members of the Company will provide a unique opportunity to see how performances can inspire teaching artists to extend learning for schools and community.
This series of professional development workshops will be led by an arts education specialist, a soloist from The Royal Ballet Company, and a creative ballet specialist from The Royal Opera House in Britain. They’ll share their knowledge and rich experience with colleagues from China.
This work is part of a three-year British Council initiative to improve community access to the arts and supports an ongoing partnership between the Royal Opera House and the National Centre for the Performing Arts, which aims to foster the exchange of skills and knowledge between the two organisations.
Who should attend?
- Artists who currently lead education work or who are interested in leading such work in a variety of settings, including but not limited to schools. We welcome artists with a special interest or knowledge of ballet or dance, as well as those who focus on other artistic disciplines but have an interest in integrating movement into their work.
- Classroom teachers who are interested in integrating the arts into their curriculum.
- Specialist arts teachers based in primary or secondary schools.
- Specialist ballet teachers who are interested in moving into new areas of education work.
Please note that these workshops are aimed at developing creative ballet work in education and community contexts. They will not address the teaching of classical ballet as a technical form.
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Morning session
09:30 -12:30 |
Afternoon session
13:30-16:30 |
Day 1 22 June
Studio 3 |
An introduction to Ballet Education Practice - After warm-up activities, the group will explore ways in which Homage to the Queen can be used as a springboard for repertory-based education work.
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Creative Families Workshop - An opportunity to observe and/or participate in a creative ballet workshop for family groups
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Day 2 23 June
Studio 3 |
Young Advocates Workshops 1 - Participate in and/or observe the first of a three-day workshop series for a Young Advocates group of disabled and able-bodied young people and their teachers. The focus will be on creative responses to Homage to the Queen.
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Watch an Open Rehearsal of Wayne McGregor’s Chroma - Followed by an opportunity to meet two of the dancers who are performing in this piece.
- These sessions will be followed by discussion and reflection on the day’s activities.
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Day 3 24 June
Studio 3 |
Young Advocates Workshop 2 - See above. Second in the series.
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Repertory-based workshop on Chroma - Following on from Day 2, participants will explore some of the choreographic devices used in Chroma and how they might be adapted for workshops with community groups.
- The session will include an opportunity to work with choreographer Wayne McGregor
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Day 4 25 June
Studio 3 |
Young Advocates Workshop 3 - See above. Third in the series.
- The workshops will conclude with an informal sharing of work for family and friends.
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Open Rehearsal of the Royal Ballet’s Triple Bill - Triple Bill includes Chroma, Homage to the Queen, and selected classical divertissements.
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Day 5 26 June
Studio 3 |
Community Workshop for Teens - An opportunity to observe and participate in a workshop for teens.
- See some of the ideas you explored in the Chroma workshop put into action with a group of young people.
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Reflection and Next Steps - curriculum design and education activity proposal
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Notes for teaching artists:
- Participants are required to attend the workshop throughout the five days. Everyone who attends will be expected to participate!
- Participants will work in bare feet. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and please don’t turn up in a mini skirt!
The Royal Ballet Education Team
Pippa Cobbing – Creative Ballet Education Specialist
Pippa has over 15 years of dance education experience. She is currently Coodinator of the PrimarySTEPS programme for the Dance Partnership and Access Department of The Royal Ballet School, where she oversees the provision of classes for gifted and talented primary school children in four UK centres, including guiding class content and providing training for teachers. She is a freelance dance artist for Royal Opera House Education, leading a range of creative ballet work, including teaching for Chance to Dance – a scholarship scheme that provides access to ballet and related performance activities to children at four London centres. Pippa is an excellent communicator, with the ability to enthuse and motivate both students and fellow teachers alike.
David Pickering – Royal Ballet Soloist and Education Facilitator
David is a professional dancer and trained singer who still enjoys a dancing career with The Royal Ballet and has used his experience in artist management and teaching to branch out into dance education and outreach. He joined The Royal Ballet Company in 1990 and was promoted to Soloist, 1999. His repertory includes roles in many of the classics as well as the creation of roles in a wide range of new works. David works closely with Royal Opera House Education on the planning and delivery of dance education projects, including the Chance to Dance scholarship scheme and Creative Exchange – a project bringing together young musicians and dancers from nine high schools around the UK.
Jonathan Silverman - Co-Director, Graduate Education Program and Coordinator of Arts in Education at Saint Michael’s College, Colchester Vermont, USA
Jonathan leads courses in art education, interdisciplinary curriculum, aesthetics, foundational studies, and the creative process in addition to facilitating workshops with teaching artists and educators. He helped to launch an arts-based school model which went on to win one of five nation-wide Creative Ticket Awards given by the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C for exemplary arts education programs. Jonathan has extensive experience in facilitating workshops with teaching artists and educators.
Craig Edwards – Musician
Application procedures
You can download the application form here [Word Document]. The deadline for the submission of applications is Wednesday 11 June 2008. Please send your application form via email to arts.beijing@britishcouncil.org.cn
Contact
Any questions about the application procedure please contact:
Ms Liang Junhong
Arts officer
Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy
4/F Landmark Building Tower 1, 8 North Dongsanhuan Rd, Chaoyang District, 100004, Beijing, China
Telephone number is 010 6590 6903 ext 255
Organisers
Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy
The Royal Ballet
The National Centre for the Performing Arts
For further details about the performances by the Royal Ballet in June, please click here.
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